Racing, animal welfare and hunting are among the issues on which political parties have made promises ahead of the general election (12 December) that will have a direct impact on equestrians and the industry.

The Countryside Alliance (CA) is pushing its rural charter, to highlight some of the key issues for those who live and work in the countryside, and its “Twibbon” social media campaign — a picture frame that can be used on photos on social media — to spread the message that rural communities must not be taken for granted.

“Political parties would do well to tackle the vast number of issues facing the countryside,” said the CA’s head of policy, Sarah Lee. “These include fixing poor broadband in rural areas; addressing the lack of affordable housing; better rural transport links, as well as defending and promoting the post office and our hard-working rural businesses.